Guernsey retains the right to issue its own coinage under the authority of the Crown but outside the United Kingdom's currency system — meaning these pieces are legal tender on the island but not in Britain. The "Defender of the Faith" title was conferred on Henry VIII by Pope Leo X in 1521, a designation Parliament chose to retain for the Crown even after the break with Rome, attaching it permanently to the royal style.
This issue appeared in the final months of Elizabeth II's reign, making it among the last Guernsey coinage struck in her name before her death in September 2022.
Guernsey retains the right to issue its own coinage under the authority of the Crown but outside the United Kingdom's currency system — meaning these pieces are legal tender on the island but not in Britain. The "Defender of the Faith" title was conferred on Henry VIII by Pope Leo X in 1521, a designation Parliament chose to retain for the Crown even after the break with Rome, attaching it permanently to the royal style.
This issue appeared in the final months of Elizabeth II's reign, making it among the last Guernsey coinage struck in her name before her death in September 2022.